Attachment for window-shades



H. L. HALL. ATTACHMENT FOR WINDOW SHADES.

(No Model.)

No. 483,490. Patented Sept. 2'7, 1892.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HORACE L. HALL, OF MANCHESTER, NEW HAMPSHIRE, Assmoa TO E. T.

A HuRRowEs, OF PORTLAND, MAINE.

ATTACHMENT FOR WINDOW-SHADES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 483,490, datedSeptember 2'7, 1892.

Applicationfiled July 8, 1890. Renewed October 31, 1891. serialNo.410,428. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HORACE L. IIALL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Manchester, in the county of I-Iillsborough and State of NewHampshire, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inAttachments for Window-Shades, of which the following 1s aspecification.

The object of this invention is to provide a window-curtain with meanswhereby it shall remain at any desired elevation.

The invention consists in a certain novel mechanism for releasing rodscontained with- 1n the curtain-stick (which are normally expanded) fromcontact with either side of the Window-frame.

The invention will be fully set forth in the following specification andclaims and clearly shown in the accompanying drawings, forming a partthereof.

Figure 1 represents a car-window with the surrounding frame and a windowshade mounted upon an ordinary spring-roller and provided at its bottomwith my improvements, Fig. 2 being an enlarged detached sectionalelevation of ashade-stick, showing the interior expansive rods forholding the shade at any elevation by friction with the window-frame andmy improved releasing device for drawing in the rods and releasing thefriction.

A is the shade, B the spring-roller, C the window-frame, and D thewindow.

The shade-stick E maybe made of wood or metal, and this is provided witha central longitudinal perforation e for the receptionv ofexpansion-rods F. These rods are forced normally outward, so as to bearagainst either side of the window-frame O or within a groove 0, as inFig. 1, by means of a spring G, contracted between a collar f, mountedupon either rod F, and a washer e, placed in the shade-stick and backedby a coupleof pins 6 passing through the shade-stick. In the adjacentends of the rods F are formed elongated openings f each forthe receptionof one of the curved bars or levers H, which are pivoted at their upperends upon pin h to the upper side of the shade-stick E and rest within aslot e formed in the bottom of said stick E. By this device the springsG may be very stiff, as the leverage of the bars H between their thusdispensing with the need of apin or other means of connecting the rod tothe lever except the slot in' the end through which the lever projects.This permits of the stick being made from a light metal tube and alsoprevents the inner end of the rod falling down toward the opening 9which would decrease the power of the lever, or of its slipping uptoward the pivotal point by the inclination of the lever when the rodswere being released, which would render the device inoperative by reasonof the decrease of the movement of the rod by the lever.

As above described, it is evident that the device is very readily puttogether or taken apart, thus making it very easy to manufacture and torepair in case any of the parts become broken. After the pins (2 aresecured in their respective ends of the tube and the collars f have beensecured to the ends of the rods F a spring and a washer are placed uponeach rod and the slotted end of the rod is inserted into the end of thetube until the slot f registers with the opening a. The lever H is theninserted through the opening and the slot and secured by the pin h,which makes the stick complete and ready for use. By removing the pin itthe whole device may be separated and any of the parts repaired andputbacktogetheragain. Whenitisconsidered how very small the stick mustbe to avoid being unsightly and cumbersome on a windowshade and yet bestrong enough to hold springs for retaining the curtain in any desiredposition against a strong spring at the top for rolling it up and leversfor releasing it, so that the curtain may be moved up or down, theability to utilize a small metal tube for the stick becomes a veryimportant consideration.

Having described my improvement, what I claim is-- 1. The combination,with a hollow shadestick provided with two slots substantially midwayfrom its ends, of two levers secured within the stick independently ofeach other, eachlever being pivotally secured at its upper end andhaving its lower end projecting through one of the slots, whereby it maybe grasped and forcedinward, the portion of the stick between the slotforming an abutment for limiting the movement of the levers toward eachother, and a spring-actuated rod in each end of the stick, the outer endof each of which is provided with retaining devices and the inner end isloosely secured upon one of the levers below the pivotal point, andmeans for preventing the inner end of the rod from moving toward thepivotal point of the lever, substantiallyas set forth.

2. The combination, with a hollow tubular shade-stick the walls of whichare substantially of the same thickness throughout its length, saidstick being provided with two slots about midway of its length, of twolevers secured within the stick independently of each other, eachleverbeing pivotally securedv at its upper end within the stick andhaving its lower end projecting through one of the slots in the stick,the portion of the stick between the slots being adapted to limit themovement of the levers toward each other, a flat perforated guidesecured within the stick between each lever and the adjacent end of thestick, a pin through the stick between each guide and the lever andadjacent to the inner side of the guide, whereby the guide is preventedfrom moving toward the lever, a rod in each end of the stick, the outerend of which is shouldered and fits within the outer end of the stickand the inner end passes through the guide and is provided with a slotwhich fits loosely upon the lever adjacent to that end and below itspivotal point, and a spring upon each rod, one end of which bearsagainst the shoulder of the rod and the opposite end bears against theguide, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HORACE L. HALL. Witnesses:

J. B. THURSTON, ISAAC L. HEATH.

